| No. 20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Safety | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | November 9, 1936 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||
| Died: | April 1, 2024 | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Summit (IL) Argo | ||
| College: | Michigan State | ||
| NFL draft: | 1959 / Round: 15 / Pick: 179 | ||
| AFL draft: | 1960 / Round: 2 Pick: First Selections (by the Los Angeles Chargers) | ||
| Career history | |||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
| |||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||
Robert Edward Bercich (November 9, 1936 - April 1, 2024[1]) was a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Michigan State University.
Bercich attended Argo Community High School, before moving on to Michigan State University. As a sophomore, he was moved between halfback and fullback. He became a starter at fullback as a junior and split time with Park Baker.[2][3]
The New York Giants selected Bercich in the fifteenth round (179th overall) of the 1959 NFL Draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over. He was also drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 1960 AFL Draft. He was released on September 5, 1960.
On September 8, 1960, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys. He became the first starter (6 starts) at strong safety in franchise history, while splitting time with Gary Wisener (3 starts) and Fred Doelling (3 starts).[4] He finished with 46 tackles (19 solo), 2 interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
In 1961, he suffered a concussion during the seventh game against the New York Giants and did not play another contest in the season. The next year, he missed the pre-season with a knee injury and was released before the start of the 1962 season.[5]
His son Pete Bercich played and coached in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings.